Fragrant artificial flower apparatus

ABSTRACT

A fragrant artificial flower display has one or more artificial flowers extending out of the interior of a vessel and one or more fragrant gel-coated rods connected to the stems of the flowers by a clip. The clips support the rods above the bottom of the vessel so that they are closer to the open top of the vessel to better release fragrance into the surrounding air, even when the vessel is tall and the rods are short.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/551,020, filed Apr. 18, 2000.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of air fresheners, and in particular, to a fragrant artificial flower apparatus. The invention concerns a novel self-contained air freshener which provides an artificial air freshening fragrance in combination with the beauty of an artificial flower display.

[0003] Flowers have both aromatic and visual mood enhancing properties. A bouquet of flowers will enhance the atmosphere of an entire room. However, for a variety of reasons, the indoor display of living flowers is limited.

[0004] First, living flowers, and particularly valuable ornamental flowers, require care if they are to be kept alive. There are thus two options—buying expensive cut flowers with the understanding that they are to be disposed of in a matter of days, or buying potted flowers with the understanding that they must require years of care. Potted flowers are bulky, and many people do not have the time or talent to care for living flowers.

[0005] Accordingly, in view of the problems associated with living plants, many people have settled on imitation flowers which require little or no care.

[0006] Devices have been developed which combine the functions of floral display and artificial fragrance dispenser. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,546 to Bock teaches a combination vase and air fragrance dispenser comprising two vessels, one for holding natural or artificial flowers, the other for holding a fragrance emitting material. The two-vessel construction ensures complete separation between flower and air treatment material, preventing contamination of the flowers. The flower holding vessel is capable of receiving water needed to keep natural flowers fresh. Thus, this device is concerned with the display of cut flowers, which have a short life.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,640 to Holtkamp, Jr. teaches a fragrance emitting plant watering system, wherein a potted natural flowering plant is seated within a larger vase-like solid fragrance emitter. A wick transports water from a water reservoir to a potted plant. An air freshener cartridge for emitting a fragrance is provided in a separate compartment of the device. The device however greatly and unnecessarily increases the size of the vase and provides a proportionately small space in which to place the potted flowering plant. This renders the device unsuitable for display in areas where space is limited, such as in office cubicles. The device is also uneconomical due to the expense of manufacturing such a complex device.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,104 to Orson discloses an air fragrance dispenser including a reservoir of a volatile fragrance solution, a diffuser surface from which the fragrance is dispersed into the air, a wick for transporting the fragrance from the reservoir to the diffuser by capillary action, and a particular chemical composition for regulating the fragrance evaporation rate.

[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,102 to Chong discloses a scented artificial flower with a stem that extends from the ovary of the flower into a reservoir of perfume. A wick within the stem connects the perfume reservoir to the ovary and stamen elements of the flower, which are both constructed of a wicking material. The perfume may be supplied to the ovary and stamens by capillary action or pressure supplied by a pump. Alternatively, the stem may be a hollow tube that supplies the perfume to the ovary and stamens by gravity, from an elevated container.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,768 to Ishihara discloses an artificial potted flower wherein deodorant and/or perfume is entrapped in swollen gels of water-absorbent synthetic resin and released by the moisture-releasing property of water-absorbent resin in the case of a deodorant, or by inherent sublimability in the case of a perfume.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,881 to Barlics discloses a conventional air freshener, shaped to resemble a flower. The air freshener includes a wick in communication with a liquid reservoir. The wick is formed by a bundle of strands of polyester or other suitable material capable of carrying the liquid by capillary action from the reservoir to a diffusing site. The wick directly disperses the air freshener to the air at the diffusing site without the intervention of a separate scent pad.

[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,981 to Leavey, et. al. discloses an air freshener in the form of a decorative vase containing one or more artificial flowers. A stem-like wick extends between a reservoir of liquid air freshener within the vase, and a vapor dispenser. The vapor dispenser may take the form of flat leaf-like pad elements or sponge-like elements formed and colored to resemble an artificial flower or a portion thereof. The reservoir may be partitioned into a number of sections each capable of containing a liquid having a different scent.

[0013] A fragrant artificial flower having a perfume reservoir supported with the flower's sepal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,991 to Kim. The artificial flower's stamens and pistil function as wicks by extending into the perfume reservoir to absorb and release the perfume into the air.

[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,890 to Gould discloses an artificial flower or potted plant having a component formed from an absorbent hydrogel capable of absorbing and storing the solids in a fragrant essence solution. The hydrogel releases the fragrance to the air when it is exposed to an appropriate solvent. The hydrogel may be present in a portion of the flower, with the solvent supplied to this part of the flower through a wick in communication with a solvent reservoir.

[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 2,807,901 to Gilowitz et al. is for an artificial flower display enclosed in a transparent globe. A tube container filled with liquid perfume extends upwardly within and through the top center of the globe. A wick in the tube container absorbs and releases the perfume at the top of the globe.

[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,320 to Fenyo is directed to a three dimensional flower display composed of sheets of Lucite which are stacked but spaced from one another and mounted within a frame. Flower parts are arranged on each Lucite sheet so that when the Lucite sheets are mounted, the flower parts overlap and produce a three-dimensional flower display. The frame has a recess along one of its edges that contains a perfume saturated wick. The wick is covered by a hinged plate having holes for releasing fragrance.

[0017] A need remains for a simple and economical artificial floral arrangement that dispenses fragrance and that has the appearance of a decorative flower, and which avoids the complexity and expense of the prior art.

[0018] While the above described aromatic substance dispensers provide convenient means for fragrancing an area, they do not disclose the unique artificial flower apparatus and fragrance delivery system of the instant invention. Accordingly, there is a need for a combination artificial flower display and fragrance emitter which is inexpensive, attractive, relatively small in size, and easy to maintain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention is to provide an economical, controlled fragrance dispenser having the appearance of a decorative flower display.

[0020] A further object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive means for producing a desirable scent or fragrance from an artificial floral display.

[0021] Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive replaceable fragrant article and device for securing it in a bunch of artificial flowers in a display to produce a desirable scent or fragrance emanating from the artificial flower display.

[0022] It is yet another object of the invention to provide a device for providing floral scents from within a display of artificial plants or flowers while maintaining as natural appearance as possible of the display.

[0023] Accordingly, a display of artificial flowers having a fragrance emitting article is provided. The display has one or more artificial flowers each having a stem, a vessel having an open top and an interior chamber, and a base within the interior chamber holding said stems. The stems of the artificial flowers are partially encased in the base to support the flowers. One or more rods coated with a fragrant gel layer are secured to at least some of the flowers using clips to position the rods for emanating a pleasant fragrance from the fragrant gel layer into the surrounding air. If the display is provided in a large vessel, such as a tall vase, the rods may be shorter than the flower stems, but they can be secured to the stems to elevate them nearer to the vessel opening while remaining out of sight among the stems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In the drawings:

[0025]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the artificial fragrance emitting flower apparatus of the present invention;

[0026]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of an another embodiment of the present invention;

[0027]FIG. 3 is a front elevational sectional view of a third embodiment of the invention; and

[0028]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a clip used with the embodiment of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar elements, FIG. 1 shows a front elevational view of the artificial flower display 10 having flowers 12 arranged in a vessel 16. The artificial flowers 12 are conventional. The construction of the flowers 12 may vary. In general, each flower 12 comprises a stem 14, leaves 17 and flowers 18 and/or other botanical parts. These flower parts may be formed of silk, polyester/cotton, polyester, pongee, taffeta, plastic material, paper materials or other types of conventional sheet materials that are used in the construction of artificial flowers.

[0030] Vessel 16 has an open top 22 defined by a rim 24, an interior chamber 26 defined by the inside surface 28 of the vessel 16 and a bottom 26. Vessel 16 is transparent.

[0031] A base 30 having a top surface 32 is contained within the vessel 16. Stem 14 of each artificial flower 12 is partially encased in base 30. Base 30 is preferably adapted to conform to the inside surface of vessel 16.

[0032] A fragrant gel layer 40 is positioned on the top surface 32 of base 30. Preferably, the fragrant gel layer is composed of versa gel #F1100 (95.00% weight; preferred range 80-98% wt) and fragrance oil (5.00% weight; preferred range 20-2% wt).

[0033] Base 30 and vessel 16 are preferably transparent so that stems 14 may be seen though the transparent vessel 16.

[0034] Base 30 can be formed of Lucite (a DuPont trademark for an acrylic resin) or bisphenol A/Epichlorohydrin resin (Silpak, Inc., Pomona, Calif.) or other transparent materials sufficient to support and encase stems 14 of flowers 12. A preferable composition of the base is amine resin (50-90% weight) and a curing agent (10-50% weight), and most preferably about 70% wt. amine resin and 30% wt. curing agent.

[0035] Vessel 16 may have a different shapes, including rectangle, circular, octagonal, oval and square.

[0036] When the gel layer 40 no longer gives off fragrance, the old gel layer can be removed and a new layer can be poured onto base 30.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 2, in another embodiment of the present invention, rods 50 have one end 52 which holds fragrant gel 42 and an opposite end 54 that is received in a bore 34 located in base 30. Rods 50 are placed among artificial flowers 12 and are preferably removable from base 30. The rods 50 have the bottom end 54 inserted into hole 34 in the base 30.

[0038] Rods 50 may be formed of wood, lucite, plastic, such as PET or styrene, or any hard material and are preferably green colored to better blend with the color of the flowers 12 in the display, or transparent so they cannot be seen except on close examination.

[0039]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an alternative arrangement for holding the rods 50 within the vessel 16. A clip 70 is used to support a rod 50 on one of the stems 14. In a preferred embodiment, the clip 70 is used to hold the rod 50 in a position elevated above the base 30, so that the gel 42 on the rod is closer to the vessel opening 22, while remaining out of sight. Clips 70 are particularly useful when the vessel 16 is tall and the rods 50 are substantially shorter than the interior chamber 26 height, such that inserting the rods 50 into base 30 as in the embodiment of FIG. 2 results in less fragrance being released into the surrounding air. Instead, clip 70 positions the rod 50 near the opening 22 and fragrance is more easily released into the surrounding air from the gel layer 42.

[0040] In FIG. 4, the clip 70 is seen having two arms 76, 77 joined at a resilient hinge 74 to form a U-shape. The arms 76, 77 can be separated slightly to provide an opening 72 for pushing over a stem 14. Preferably, a fragrance coated rod 50 is first inserted in the clip 70 adjacent the hinge 74. The diameter of the rod 50 and the diameter of the space between the arms 76, 77 adjacent the hinge 74 are made approximately the same, although the rod diameter may be slightly larger. The clip 70 and rod 50 are then connected to a flower stem 14 by forcing arms 76, 77 apart and pushing the clip 70 around the stem 14.

[0041] The clip 70 is preferably made of a plastic and is relatively lightweight, so that the burden on the artificial flower stems 14 is limited when a rod 50 is connected. However, other materials could be used as well, including metal, wood and hard rubber, among others.

[0042] The fragrance gel held on rods 50 is preferably composed of Isopar M (83.70% weight) available from Exxon Chemical, Kraton G1650 (8.00% weight) available Shell Chemical Co., gelling agent GP-1 (0.30% weight) available from Ajinomoto Co. Inc. and fragrance oil (8.00% weight) available from Haarmann & Reimer.

[0043] One method for preparing the rods 50 used in the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3, is to dip the top end 52 of each rod 50 into a heated container of gel 42. The gel 42 forms a layer on the rod 50. The gel 42 is then allowed to cool and dry, and then excess gel 42 can be removed prior to use of the rod 50. A further advantage of the rods 50, is that when the 42 gel is used up, the rod 50 can be redipped and reused.

[0044] Although the rods 50 are preferably dipped and coated with fragrant gel 42 so that one end of each rod 50 is left uncoated, the entire rod 50 may be coated when used with clips 70.

[0045] A coloring agent may be added to the gel composition to allow the gel 42 to match the color of the flowers 12. A preferable coloring agent is Phosphorescent Pigment 2330 M2330 available from USR Optonix Inc.

[0046] While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A fragrant artificial flower display comprising: a vessel having a base and an open top; at least one artificial flower extending from within the vessel, each artificial flower having a stem supported in the base; a rod coated with a fragrant gel; and a clip fastening said rod to the stem of one of the at least one artificial flower, the rod positioned above the base of the vessel.
 2. The display of claim 1 , wherein the clip is made of one of plastic, metal and wood.
 3. The display of claim 1 , wherein the clip is formed in a U-shape having two arms joined by a resilient hinge, the arms being separable for securing around the stem, the rod held adjacent the hinge.
 4. The display of claim 3 , wherein the clip is made of one of plastic, metal and wood.
 5. The display of claim 3 , wherein the rod is positioned below the top opening.
 6. The display of claim 5 , wherein the rod is made of one of wood, lucite, plastic, PET and styrene.
 7. The display of claim 6 , wherein the rod is one of colored green and transparent.
 8. A decorative and fragrant apparatus comprising: a vessel having a top opening and a rigid base having a top surface; at least one simulated flower having a stem at least partially encased in the base for supporting the flower in an upright position over the base; a rod having at least one end coated with a layer of a fragrant gel; and means for securing said rod to one of the at least one simulated flower to support the gel over the base below the top opening and among the at least one simulated flower, the fragrant gel dispersing a fragrance.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the means for securing said rod comprises a clip having a resilient hinge and a pair of separable arms.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the clip is made of one of wood, metal and plastic.
 11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the rod is made of one of wood, lucite, plastic, PET and styrene.
 12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the rod is one of colored green and transparent.
 13. A method for creating a fragrant artificial flower display, the method comprising: providing a vessel having an open top and a base; securing at least one artificial flower having a stem in the base inside the vessel so that at least a portion of the artificial flower extends through the open top of said vessel; providing a rod coated with a fragrant gel; securing said rod to the stem of the at least one artificial flower with a clip for supporting the rod above the base of the vessel and below the top opening.
 14. The method of claim 13 , wherein securing the rod with the clip further comprises inserting the rod into a space adjacent a hinge of the clip and then forcing the clip over the stem.
 15. The method of claim 14 , wherein providing the rod comprises dipping the rod into a quantity of the fragrant gel and drying the gel on the rod to form a coating.
 16. The method of claim 13 , wherein providing the rod comprises dipping the rod into a quantity of the fragrant gel and drying the gel on the rod to form a coating. 